Hanging On

Album: Halcyon (2012)
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Songfacts®:

  • The first song to be released by British Electropop singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding's second studio album features her fellow Brit, rapper Tinie Tempah. She released the song as a free download, accompanied with a brief message: "Here's the beginning of my new journey. Enjoy and share responsibly." The influence of her dubstep-influenced EDM producer boyfriend Skrillex is apparent.
  • The song is a cover of Active Child's track of the same name. Active Child is the working name of American electronic-meets-choral artist Pat Grossi and the tune originally featured on his 2011 album, You Are All I See. Grossi was impressed with Goulding's interpretation and told the press that it is "an incredibly proud moment for me as an artist."
  • This is not the first collaboration between Ellie Goulding and Tinie Tempah. The songstress previously provided guest vocals on Tempah's hit single, "Wonderman."
  • Tempah raps on this song, "She broke my heart. I took some Gaviscon." We recommend that next time Tinie reads the back of the Gaviscon packet more carefully. The non-prescription medication may be recommended for the treatment of heartburn, but is useless for a broken heart.
  • The I See MONSTAS remix of this song was included on the soundtrack of the 2014 movie, Divergent. Goulding also provided the "musical voice" for the film's lead character, Tris Prior (played by Shailene Woodley). "I got to jam, like you would jam on a guitar, but just with my voice," shared Goulding to Entertanment Weekly of the process. "I really enjoyed it."
  • This was featured on the 2012 Gossip Girl episode "The Revengers" and on the 2012 Nikita episode "Til Death Do Us Part."

Comments: 1

  • Scott from Brisbane, AustraliaGaviscon might be useless for a broken heart but for treating the symptoms especially stress and anxiety related acid reflux. If you haven't felt it what kind of love did you lose? So far it's the song I feel the closest to a previous breakup.
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